Uneasy the hand that unleashes the sword

history. I’ve seen how Maranawans flock the streets in rallies against the AFP’s all-out war in Muslim areas, and against the US-Balikatan Exercises in Lanao.

They didn’t forget the Lake Lanao campaign of General “Black Jack” Pershing that suppressed their forefathers’ resistance. Aside from knowing their history, they pride themselves for the intellectual community in Marawi State University, and yes, they respect diversity.

But those images now, the people, the leaders, the academe, are now replaced by images of burning schools and ghost streets.

But it’s not only me that should feel the pain. The pain is much deeper for the Moro people. As a friend and development worker shared a good point to me: Who knows Martial Law better than the Moro people?

Indeed, those two words invoke memories of activists tortured, detained and salvaged. But another part of the history of martial law are the hundreds and thousands of Moro people displaced in the military campaign against the MNLF. Thus, the song Cotabato by Asin narrates such pain.

And martial law is here again. People are divided, and that’s unbelievable for me. When terror attacks happen in other countries, people come together in prayers and words of unity. Here, we debate and kill each other online.

People say we have to trust the president; that we have to follow the law at this point. But they missed out these points: Who is going to implement the law? The military that bungled a “surgical operation” that hemorrhaged to a burning city? And do they know who the enemy is?

Is the Maute group a military problem or a social problem? We have invested and hoped for peace building, self-determination, better local governance, crisis management and it’s all gonna flush down the drain?

And while we debate, the Moro lands that lie in the heartland of

Mindanao: Lanao, Maguindanao, Cotabato are bleeding again, in the name of “peace”. *** Donations for Marawi evacuees can be course through DSWD.

Evacuation centers are in Lanao del Sur Provincial Capitol, Buadi

Sacayo, Marawi City; Gymnasium, School of Fisheries, Buru-un,

Iligan City; Barangay Hall, Poblacion, Municipality of Saguiaran;

MSU-IIT CASS, Tibanga, Iligan City; Gomampong Ali Gymnasium,

Poblacion Baloi and Daycare Center, Barangay Pacalundo, Baloi.

(tyvelez@gmail.com)